Los Angeles, USA By Monique Lacoste |
Los Angeles is a city of contradictions. Its public image is so familiar that it’s become an unflattering stereotype - bottle blondes with plastic body parts all vying to become the next big thing in a place high on fame and beauty and lacking in substance or soul. Big studios and big labels searching for the next Baywatch or Britney Spears, squeezing out the independents and forcing a tacky, homogenized culture on the world. With these images thrust in the public eye, it’s easy to assume that LA has nothing more to offer. But to ignore the many positive contributions LA has made to popular culture and write it off as the used car salesman of America would be a grave mistake. Peel back the surface and you find a city with a secret life and a beating heart. For every generic sit-com and theme park there is a record store, an art galley or an independent film house waiting to be discovered. While the surf-punk sound has become its most popular musical signature, LA has also indelibly shaped the course of pop music with major talents ranging from The Beach Boys to Beck, and continues to be a destination for all types of talent. The melting pot mythology of America is alive and well in LA, with eclectic ethnic neighborhoods and a strong Hispanic influence that adds an undeniable amor para la vida to the city. There are terrific museums like LACMA and The Getty, along with quirkier places like The Museum of Jurassic Technology. And there is no better place on the West Coast for enjoying the leisurely beach lifestyle that made California famous than the costal towns of LA. While it may take a little effort to find the city’s indie scene, it’s all there to be discovered by someone with a little time, a little imagination and, of course, some good transportation. |
